Tag Archives | Autumn

This Weekend in my Back Yard Golden-leaved Wild Grape (Vitis riparia) crawls along my neighbor’s clothes line contrasting beautifully with the scarlet leaves of my Hazelnut. One never plants Wild Grape–it just shows up, planted by birds, American Hazelnut (Corylus americana) is the most spectacular autumn shrub we have in the Midwest. Its […]

Farewell Indian Summer SONGWRITERS WILLIAMS, HARRY/HICKMAN, A Does anyone remember that song? Here’s the rendition by Glenn Miller; there is also one by Frank Sinatra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa_faILW6MQ Obviously dating me. In this song, Indian Summer was a metaphor for a romance that had begun in June and had faded by Indian Summer. What really is […]

PAWPAW, SPIKENARD, SPICEBUSH, and WITCH HAZEL October Golden-leaved Plant Community A group of unusual plants grows along the south end of the savanna in Potawatomi Park that is located between the parkbuilding and the Fox River. Shaded by a gigantic Linden or Basswood (Tilia americana) tree, the low ground never completely dries out. Paw Paw […]

Fiery Fall Foliage Let’s Plant Red-leaved Native Shrubs instead of the Invasive Burning Bush In the late 50’s-60’s, Compact Burning Bush (Euonymous alatus compactus) was introduced to the landscape industry and was soon installed on the corner of every newly built ranch house in the Northeast and Midwest, including ours. While it does have […]

Flaming Vine …and the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame, September Song Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) creeps along the ground in mesic woods until it comes to a tall tree and then climbs to the top. Not […]

Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of Harvest-home; All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin. Henry Alfred 1810-187 The First Thanksgiving What is now called the First Thanksgiving was actually a Harvest Festival, popular in England, and, indeed, all over the world, including the New World. The Pilgrims and […]

Fiery Fall Foliage First Week in November The Chicago area landscape was formed by ice. As the Wisconsin glacier receded about 13,000 years ago, it deposited glacial till it had collected when it moved forward—boulders, stones, gravel, sand, and clay particles—and built overlapping moraines. The material dropped out unevenly thereby creating rolling hills, ridges, and […]

Back in the Day–Halloween Running, running, running–down the street, through back yards–not that anyone was actually chasing us, but we liked to think there was. Pinning doorbells and car horns, and soaping windows were high adventure to us and major annoyances for grown-ups in the weeks leading up to Halloween. According to Alliance Data […]